Chương 14
“You survived.”
“Low bar.”
Evan pressed his forehead against mine.
I smelled baby shampoo and bananas.
For several minutes, I did nothing except hold him.
No company.
No lawyers.
No police.
No reporters.
He pulled my earring.
I yelped.
He laughed.
That felt like proof of life.
Claire watched us.
Her expression softened and then closed again.
“Jason called twice more.”
I looked at her.
“What did you say?”
“That Evan was safe.”
“Did you tell him where?”
“No.”
“Thank you.”
She stiffened.
“Don’t.”
“Right.”
Mom emerged carrying tea.
“Everybody stop thanking everybody until dinner.”
Claire accepted a cup.
“You really made egg salad and tuna salad?”
“I believe in options.”
“I believe in takeout.”
“That is why your generation is financially doomed.”
“I’m thirty-two.”
“Exactly.”
For ten minutes, we discussed sandwiches.
It was almost aggressively ordinary.
Then the buzzer sounded.
Everyone froze.
Mom looked at the intercom.
Claire looked at me.
My heart began pounding.
The buzzer sounded again.
Mom stood.
“Don’t answer it.”
She frowned at me.
“I’m not opening the door.”
She pressed the intercom button.
“Yes?”
Jason’s voice came through the speaker.
“Mom?”
Claire shut her eyes.
Mom looked at me.
Jason tried again.
“Claire, I know you’re there.”
Nobody answered.
His voice sharpened.
“I just want to see my son.”
Claire stood.
“I should talk to him.”
“No.”
“He’s my brother.”
“I know.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because you keep making it sound like I don’t.”
Mom lifted one hand.
“Both of you, stop.”
The buzzer sounded again.
Then Jason said, “Isabella, if you’re there, please don’t do this.”
I walked toward the intercom.
Claire stepped in front of me.
“What are you going to say?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“I’m not keeping Evan from him.”
“Then let him upstairs.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s furious.”
“You’re furious.”
“Yes.”
“So should nobody hand Evan to you either?”
The question struck harder than she intended.
Claire’s face changed immediately.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No.”
I held up a hand.
“You’re right to ask.”
Mom said, “Jason can see the baby without taking him anywhere.”
I looked at her.
“How?”
“Downstairs.”
“Mom.”
“Lobby.”
“That’s not secure.”
“It has cameras.”
Claire nodded slowly.
“And Anthony is here.”
Anthony was actually parked outside, but the distinction hardly mattered.
Mom continued.
“Five minutes.”
“This is not a hostage exchange.”
“Then stop treating it like one.”
I stared at her.
She raised both eyebrows.
The bandage made one slightly higher than the other.
Meredith’s words came back to me.
Reasonable temporary parenting arrangement.
Do not act like you are keeping the child from him.
I pressed the intercom.
“Jason.”
Silence.
Then, “Bella?”
“Stay in the lobby.”
“I want Evan.”
“You can see him.”
“I’m his father.”
“Yes.”
“Then bring him down.”
Claire looked surprised.
“So I can take him home?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because we need an interim agreement.”
“This is insane.”
“Five minutes in the lobby.”
“You don’t get to ration my son.”
“I’m not trying to.”
“That is exactly what you’re doing.”
My hand tightened around the intercom button.
Mom touched my wrist.
I released it.
“Jason, I’m trying to handle this without making it worse.”
“You already made it worse.”
“I know you believe that.”
“Stop talking to me like a lawyer.”
“I’m not.”
“You sound exactly like them.”
Claire covered her face.
Mom mouthed, Breathe.
I ignored that.
“Five minutes.”
Jason was silent.
Then he said, “Fine.”
Claire carried Evan downstairs with me.
Mom stayed in the apartment because she did not want to see Jason.
I did not blame her.
The lobby smelled like floor cleaner and someone’s dinner.
Jason stood near the mailboxes in yesterday’s jeans and a gray sweater I had bought him.
He had not shaved.
For one terrible instant, he looked like the man I used to know.
Then he saw Evan.
Everything in his face collapsed.
“Hey, buddy.”
Claire handed him over.
Jason pressed his cheek to our son’s hair.
Evan immediately grabbed his nose.
Jason laughed.
It was a real laugh.
Quiet.
Broken at the edges.
I looked away.
Claire looked at me and then away too.
None of us knew where to put our eyes.
Jason kissed Evan’s forehead.
“You miss me?”
Evan slapped his chin.
“Apparently not.”
For three minutes, nobody mentioned money.
Then Jason said, “I want him tonight.”
I shook my head.
“Not without an agreement.”
His jaw tightened.
“I’m not signing away custody.”
“Nobody asked you to.”
“You hired a lawyer.”
“So should you.”
“I have lawyers.”
“Family counsel.”
He gave me a bitter smile.
“Must be nice to have specialists for everything.”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The money.”
“You made it relevant.”
“No, Jason.”
“You always get to be reasonable because you have enough money to survive every consequence.”
I stared at him.
He continued.
“If Cole Meridian dies, you go home rich.”
“That is not what I want.”
“I go home with nothing.”
“That isn’t true.”
“It’s close enough.”
Evan began fussing.
Jason bounced him automatically.
The movement was practiced.
Gentle.
That made what came next harder.
“Did you move five million dollars into the family trust?”
His eyes snapped to mine.
Claire whispered, “Not here.”
I knew she was right.
Jason’s face closed.
“This is about Evan.”
“You made everything about Evan when you came here.”
“I came because you took him.”
“He was already with Claire.”
“Because we agreed.”
“Yes.”
“Then you changed the arrangement.”
“Because you threatened to come get him while saying he was something I couldn’t take.”
Jason looked at Claire.
She flinched.
“You told her that?”
“She asked.”
“I was upset.”
I laughed once.
“So was I at the Plaza.”
His eyes returned to mine.
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
He had no answer.
Evan started crying.
Not dramatic crying.
Hungry crying.
Claire reached for him.
Jason held on for one second too long.
Then he gave our son back.
The hesitation told me more than a speech could have.
He was afraid.
May you like
Not only of losing the company.
Of losing every role that told him who he was.
